A variety of different types of equipment use peristaltic pumps. These are commonly used because they are non-wetted and can ensure clean and contaminant-free fluids and external environments. They are commonly used in medical systems.
There are many types of blood processing and fluid exchange procedures, each providing different therapeutic effects and demanding different processing criteria. Some procedures entail the removal of blood or another fluid from an individual and the return of blood or another fluid to the individual in a controlled fashion. Other types use natural body tissues to exchange blood components with a medicament. Examples of such procedures include hemofiltration (HF), hemodialysis (HD), hemodiafiltration (HDF), and peritoneal dialysis (PD). A common requirement of such procedures is the provision of quantities of medicament such as dialysate that have a precise mixture of solute components free of contaminants and pyrogenic materials.
Known systems for preparing medicaments such as dialysate are continuous proportioning systems and batch mixing systems. Carrying out treatment procedures using medicaments may employ special-purpose machinery. In the dialysis treatments listed above, devices called cyclers are often used. The pump fluid may also pump blood, depending on the treatment. In the process of pumping, they precisely proportion the net amounts of fluid supplied and discharged and ensure safety by various means including monitoring of pressure, temperature, leaks, and other treatment conditions. In principle, these treatments are relatively simple, but because of the need for patient safety and health outcomes, treatment procedures and treatment systems are complex.
Home delivery of these treatments raises concerns about efficiency, safety, and treatment efficacy. One of the drawbacks of home treatment is the need for a supply of purified water. In clinics, large reverse osmosis plants provide a continuous supply of purified water. In the home, such large systems may not be practical because they require high volume of water and drainage. Installing and using relevant components can be a difficult and expensive task and may require modifications to a patient's home. In addition, the systems for the production of properly mixed medicaments in pure form require a high level of precision and safeguards as well as training and maintenance. To provide effective and safe systems for home delivery of blood treatments, there is an on-going need for innovations in these areas and others.
Another example of medical fluids, infusion pumps may be used to deliver medicaments or drugs to a patient by infusion. One way of ensuring the quality of medicaments is to measure conductivity. This ensures against incorrect dosing and can be critical for patient health and even survival. In prior art systems, a conductivity cell or flow channel may be used where a current is passed through the cell and the voltage drop measured. It is key for such measurements to be precise and accurate in order for them to provide the protective function desired.